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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29517600">Breaking Barriers</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/HZeager/pseuds/HZeager'>HZeager</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Downton Abbey</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 16:30:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,738</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29517600</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/HZeager/pseuds/HZeager</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Isobel Crawley/Reginald Crawley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Breaking Barriers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Honestly Reginald I’m not an invalid I can still do my job and help those that need our help at the clinic I was talking to Mama the other day and she said that you and papa are swamped at the clinic” Isobel called after her husband as he walked out of their bedroom.<br/>“I understand all of this Isobel, but I still do not think that you go back to work is a good idea right now” Reginald replied continuing to walk away from his wife.<br/>“don’t you walk away from me Reginald” Isobel called storming after her husband.<br/>“I just don’t think you or Matthew are ready to be separated from each other yet” Reginald replied walking in to the kitchen to make some tea.<br/>“I’ve already talked it over and planned it all out with mama I’ll pump and we can keep it in the ice chest for the day it will be need and I can go to work help you and papa out at the clinic I’ll go home for lunch and feed Matthew then an stay with him for the rest of the day” Isobel continued to plead with Reginald.<br/>“I still do not think it necessary that you go back to work so soon after Matthew” Reginald sighed running his hands through his hair before turning to his wife who was holding their four-month-old son.<br/>“I hardly think that four months since Matthew’s birth is to soon Reginald” Isobel huffed walking away from her husband and bouncing her four-month-old as she went.<br/>“Issy” Reginald called after his wife.<br/>Placing her son down in the bassinet they kept in the living room.<br/>“I’ll be back to work on Monday Reginald and that’s final” Isobel replied marching back into the kitchen where her husband was getting tea cups down for their tea.<br/>“I’m not stopping you from going back to work lord knows that I can’t stop you from going back, I just wanted you to know my stance on the whole conversation” Reginald replied reaching out to his wife whose arms where crossed over her chest in defiance.  <br/>“for once you are right Reginald you can’t stop me from going back to work but I would like to have your blessing before I go back to work Reggie” Isobel said allowing Reginald to envelope her in his arms.<br/>“you know I love you and I want nothing more than for you to be happy love but I want you to know how proud I am of you for being able to work out how you can manage to take care of our son and how you can manage to still be a doctor” Reginald sighed lovingly kissing his wife on the forehead.<br/>“you know when Gideon first introduce you to me I was shocked that you wanted anything to do with the dream eyed girl who thought she could be a doctor like her dad even though the only job for a woman in a hospital is to be a nurse” Isobel smiled up at her husband<br/>“even though most people don’t agree with the fact that you are just as good of a doctor if not better than I, and I don’t say that lightly after all you are a trail blazer as a woman in the world of men than any woman I have ever met or will ever meet and that is what attracted me to you and don’t you forget it” Reginald replied looking down at his wife and kissing her on the nose causing her to scrunch her face in delight.<br/>“well I’m glad” Isobel said tapping his chest before she turned around to take the kettle off the stove and finishing the preparations for the tea<br/>====<br/>“alright mama here are his nappies and his blanket along with his pacifier the milk is in the ice chest out back along with the bottles in the kitchen and if he doesn’t go asleep right away just rock him for a little bit and he should go right to sleep if he gets too much just phone the clinic and I’ll come right over” Isobel was more nervous that she thought she was going to be. “alright Matthew you be good for granny mummy will be back before you know it love alright” Isobel whispered against her son’s forehead kissing him before handing him off to her mother, so she could leave for work<br/>“Isobel everything will be alright love, say Granny and I will have a splendid time together mummy” Evelyn said to her daughter picking up her grandson’s hand and waving at her daughter in a cheerful manner.<br/>“alright I’ll be back for him around one thirty this afternoon if I’m not need before then” Isobel replied kissing her son and her mother one last time before leaving her parents’ house.<br/>Upon stepping outside Isobel took a moment to collect herself before she started her walk towards the hospital that her family has run for decades where her husband and father had already started their day at work.<br/>====<br/>“everything alright Issy” Reginald asked walking up to his wife she’d only been at the clinic for about two hours and yet she still hadn’t talked to him yet<br/>“Yes, everything is alright Matthew settled nicely with Mama and I haven’t gotten any calls that anything has gone wrong, so all is right with the world at this point in time” Isobel smiled at her husband<br/>“you just seem bothered about something love” Reginald replied<br/>“no nothing at all Reggie I’m actually about to go see Mrs. Anderson for her final check-up” Isobel smiled holding up the chart to show her husband<br/>“alright well Malcolm said I can go home with you for tea today, but I will have to return afterwards but I figured we could take Matthew out for a picnic for tea just the three of us” Reginald smiled at his wife<br/>“sounds like a brilliant idea Reggie” Isobel smiled at her husband before pecking him on the cheek and walking towards the examination room<br/>====<br/>“Oh, Matthew Mummy missed you oh so much” Isobel smiled kissing all over her son’s face “how was he Mama” Isobel asked smiling up at her mother<br/>“he was a perfect little angel” Evelyn smiled at her daughter<br/>“well I’m glad of that then” Isobel smiled “Mama Reggie and I are going out for a picnic for tea, so Matthew and I will see you tomorrow morning before my shift” Isobel smiled kissing her mother on the cheek before she turned and walked out the door.<br/>====<br/>“Does here look good for the blanket” Reginald asked point to a soft spot on the grass under the shade of an oak tree<br/>“it’s perfect” Isobel smiled at her husband stepping back so her husband could lay the blanket down on the ground, so she could place Matthew down on the blanket, so he could sleep while his parents had their tea. “Thank you, Reggie,” Isobel smiled up at her husband<br/>“what for love” Reginald asked looking over at his wife who was rubbing her hand absent mindedly of their son’s stomach as she moved his arms about on the blanket<br/>“for being open minded enough to let you wife go back to work rather than be stuck at home all day taking care of the baby because you know I would go stir crazy” Isobel replied not looking up to her husband<br/>“of course, love I know you’ve never been your average woman for heaven sakes love you’re a doctor when most woman can only aspire to be a nurse, so the minute you told me you were I knew that you would never be a stay at home mum I knew that you would go back to work because that is who you are you are always ready to help anyone in need even if it’s against the unspoken rules of society” Reginald smiled at his wife reaching his hand out under her chin and bringing her face up to his to see her smiling face “ and that my love is why I love you” he smiled rubbing her hand that still rested on their sons stomach<br/>“I love you too” Isobel smiled nuzzling her cheek into her husband palm<br/>“well now that that is settled what do you say we enjoy some of these marmalade sandwiches you have prepared for us love” Reginald cheered reaching into the picnic basket pulling out the two sandwiches along with the cold meats and cheeses they had prepared for their picnic.<br/>====<br/>“you don’t think I’m a bad mother because I want to go back to work when most woman give up their jobs to stay at home with their children rather than handing them off to another person to watch them all day so that way they can go back to working instead of being a normal wife and staying home to clean and cook and tend the children while their husbands are off making money for the household” Isobel asked off handedly that evening when she was feeding Matthew in their bed her hands gently rubbing her son’s cheek as he ate<br/>“Of course not Issy I think you’re an amazing mother no matter the fact that you have gone back to work instead of staying home to cook and clean and rear our son every second of every day, I think this set up that we have is what’s best for you and what’s best for Matthew which means it’s what’s best for all of us” Reginald reassure his wife “and I don’t want you to ever think that you are a bad mother because you continue to do what the lord has put you on this earth to do and that is being a doctor and a mother at the same time because that is what you are good at love and you know what I wouldn’t have you any other way” he smiled bending over and kissing his wife on the lip’s before wiping her tears and her insecurities away.<br/>In reply Isobel just smiled at her husband before settling herself in his arms as they watched their long-awaited son enjoy his meal before laying him in his Moses basket for the night. Upon laying Matthew down to sleep Isobel rolled over nesting herself in her husband’s arms and falling asleep.</p>
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